MT Miniatures 1/700 ATL3K RFA Bay Class Landing Ship Resin Model Kit
A easy to make kit version of the MT Miniatures resin model, the Bay Class LSD. Etched brass detailing parts help give the model a fine appearance and a choice of four names is provided, including Largs Bay, which was sold to Australia in 2011 and renamed HMAS Choules, despite the fact that there is a Largs Bay on the Australian coast.
Enhancing the model are several cargo and deck handling items, including a LCT10, Containers, Deck Handling Vehicles,
Model length is just under 10" (24.5cm) so its a good size.
The Bay class is a ship class of four dock landing ships built for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) during the 2000s. They are based on the Dutch-Spanish Royal Schelde Enforcer design, and replaced the Round Table-class logistics ships. Two ships each were ordered from Swan Hunter and BAE Systems Naval Ships. Construction work started in 2002, but saw major delays and cost overruns, particularly at Swan Hunter's shipyard. In mid-2006, Swan Hunter was stripped of work, and the incomplete second ship was towed to BAE's shipyard for completion. All four ships, Largs Bay, Lyme Bay, Mounts Bay, and Cardigan Bay had entered service by 2007. Since entering service, the Bay-class ships have been used for amphibious operations, training of the Iraqi Navy in the Persian Gulf, counter-drug deployments in the Caribbean, and relief operations following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2010, Largs Bay was removed from service as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. She was sold to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2011, who operate her as HMAS Choules.